LPD: Lucerne man arrested after sexual-battery incident near Safeway

LAKEPORT -- City police arrested a Lucerne man for allegedly stealing groceries, threatening a woman in the parking lot and touching her inappropriately Tuesday afternoon, a department spokesman announced.

John William Wright was booked into the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility on two felony and two misdemeanor charges early Wednesday morning.

Lakeport Police responded to 11th Street near the post office around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call from a man who said his wife was assaulted by a man with a shopping cart in the area, Lt. Jason Ferguson stated.

Ferguson, one of the responding officers, said he tracked down Wright, 24, walking along 11th Street near the Highway 29 northbound onramp soon after arriving on scene.

Wright allegedly had nearly $350 worth of groceries, which he could not produce a receipt for, in a Safeway shopping cart.

Officers learned during their investigation that Wright contacted a woman in the Safeway shopping center parking lot near the Mendo Lake Credit Union, according to Ferguson.

The lieutenant alleged Wright made sexual advances toward the woman and offered her drugs in exchange for sexual favors before grabbing her breast at least three times when she refused to comply and threatening to kill her if she told anybody about the encounter.

Wright left the area, and the woman drove home and told her husband about the incident, according to Ferguson, who said the couple returned to the scene and called police.

Ferguson said the woman positively identified Wright as the culprit. Safeway representatives claimed the stolen items, the lieutenant added.

Wright was arrested on felony charges of making criminal threats and burglary as well as misdemeanor counts of sexual battery and petty theft. He remained in custody at the county jail Wednesday afternoon with bail set at $15,000.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow his court coverage on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #Lakeport.